Aeroplane.



W. U. DURGAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED mum, 1912.

1,048,509. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

INVENTOH WW6. 0 4/ BY W5 UNITED STATES PATENT 0 m.

WILLARD C. DURGAN, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF bNE-THIBD TO FREDERICK GEYDUSCHEK, OF HICKSVILLE, NEW YORK.

AEROPLANE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD C. 'DURGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Aeroplanes, of which the ollowing is a speci cation.

The invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, and it consistsin the novel features, structure and arrangements of arts hereinafter described, and particu arly pointed out in the claims.

7 The invention resides more particularly in a novel aeroplane wing, and in the construction and assemblage of the parts thereof.

The object of the invention is to produce an aeroplane wing the parts of which may be very 'quickly and securely assembled, and at the same time to provide a structure whichwill enable the ready repair of the wing in the event that a rib thereof should become broken or otherwise injured and reaccordance with and embo ying the inven-' quire to be replaced by a' new rib.

great deal of difliculty, expense and A delay has heretofore been occasioned whenever 1t became necessary to remove a broken rib from the wing of an. aeroplane and substitute a new rib therefor.

One of the main purposes of my inventionis to provide an aeroplane wing structure in which, with very slight delay or difiiculty, an entire rib may be removed from the wing and another rib substituted therefor.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view, partly broken away, of an aeroplane win constructed in tion; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the wing of an aeroplane and is intended to represent more partlcularly-a side elevation of my new aeroplane wing-rib with relation to the spars of the wing, Fig. 2 showing the spars in-cross-section; Fig. 3 is an en arged longitudinal section through a portion of an aeroplane wing embod ing my invention, the portion 6f the rib il ustrated being shown in side elevation; 'Fig. 4 is a Specification of ietters Patent.

Application flled'lune 4, 1912. Serial No. 701,510.

' together.

' Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

vertical transverse section through the same on the dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a like section illustratin the rib-construction of the invention, and ig. 6 is 8. correspondmg sectlon showing a partial modification of the invention. I

,In the drawings, 10 designates theaeroplane wing as a whole, 11 the ribs thereof, 12 the spars extendin at right angles to and embraced by sai ribs, 14.- the upper layer of canvas of the win and 15 the lower layer of canvas thereo The spars 12 are elongated bars of suitable material and may be of any usual or suitable construction. The ribs 11 are of special construction, and they comprise upper and lower integral strips or bars 16, 17, respectively, and intermediate corresponding sections 18, 19, respectively, located between the two middle spars 12', intermediate corresponding sections 20, 21, disposed between one of the inner spars and the adjacent outer. edge spar, 1 and corresponding sections 22, 23 located between the other inner spar .and the other outer edge spar, as clearly represented in Fig. 2. The upper and lower strips or bars, 16, 17 extend the full length of the rib and engage the opposite surfaces of the several'spars 12, four 'of said spars being shown, while the corresponding sections 18, 19 match each other and at their ends engage the facing sides of the two inner spars and completely fill the space defined bysaid spars and between the upper and lower strips or bars 16, 17. The sections 20, 21' at their ends engage the adjacent spars and the facing sides of the upper and lower strips or bars 16, 17, and the sections 22, 23 at their ends engage the adjacent spars and closely fit against the innerfacin surfaces of the upper and lower strips or ars 16,17. The several parts of the rib are firml secured together by screws and nuts extending therethrough at appropriate points along the length of the rib, and I illustrate in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 one appropriate screw and nut means for securing the parts of the rib In the emp oymentfof the means illustrated in Figs. 3, and 4,1 apply metal cap plates 24 to the upper and lower edges of the rib and introduce through one of said plates an elongated tubular nut 25 and through the other of said plates an elongated tubular nut 26 to engage a stationary screw 27 disposed withintubular openings in the corresponding upper and lower rib sections (18, 19, or 20, 21, or 22, 23), said screw being a double-ended screw carried by a block 28 set within recesses in the adjoining edges of said rib sections, which block, with the cotiperation of the rib sections, prevents this screw 27 from having any turning motion. The nuts 25, 26 are in the form of hollow internally threaded tubes to be screwed upon the ends of the screw 27, and said nuts are provided with heads 29 having screw-driver slots 30 by which, with the aid of a screwdriver, they-may be readily applied to 0p erative position. The ends of the screw 27 extend outwardly into the bars or strips 16, 17, and the nuts through said bars or strips and to a considerable extent through the rib sections confined between said bars or strip's. I may employ the cap plates 24, nuts 25, 26, and screw 27 without additional or other attachments, but preferably I will also utilize the said screw and nuts as means for securing the upper and lower sheets of canvas 14, 15

' upon the ribs of the wing, and therefore in Figs. 3 and 4 I illustrate the canvas as applied against the cap plates 24 and show on the outer ends ofthenuts 25, 26 plates 31 to clamp the canvas against the cap'plates 24. When the plates 31 are made use of as means for securing the canvas to the ribs, I will, between the sheets of canvas and the plates 31, employ a strip of strong tape or the like 32 extending lengthwise of the rib at the inner side of all of the plates 31 with which the rib may be provided.

In Fig. 5 I show the rib having the nuts 25,26 and screw 27 without the canvas-securing plates 31. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the samerib structure and the same nuts and screw, but in Fig. 5, as in Figs. 1 and 2, I omit the supplemental plates 31 for securing the canvas, the rib and its parts in each instance being the same and my main invention being present whether the canvas is secured by the plates 31 or otherwise fastened -to the ribs. I prefer to secure the canvas to the ribs by means of the plates 31 and to apply said plates on the nuts 25, 26 but I Kmay tack ,or nail the canvas to the ribs, in

so require or V extends through the plates 31,'shou1d occasion seem desirable.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, I number the upper and lower strips or bars of the rib 40, 41, respectively, and the intermediate sections 42, 43, respectively. In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the screw 44 is integral with the lower cap plate 45 and the lower strip or bar 41 lieu of using and the intermediate sections 43, 42 and into 25, 26 extend inwardly -47, are preferably formed with the upper strip or bar 40. The upper port1on of the screw 44 receives the'tubular nut 46 which corresponds with the tubular nuts '25, downwardly through the upper cap plate 47 and upper strip or bar 40 and also nearly through the intermediate section 42.

26, hereinbefore referred to, and extends In the several forms of the invention shown, the rib is in the nature of a sectional or knock-down rib, the parts of which are capable of being very readily assembled fro-m the opposite or upper and lower sides of the spars and of being very firmly and quickly secured together by means of the screws and nuts. In the event should become broken, said rib may be very readily replaced by another rib of the construction presented by me, the canvas being slit only along the rib to be removed and the parts of the new rib being inserted very quickly and secured together mainly with simply the use of a screw-driver.

It has heretofore been the subject of great annoyance and difficulty, especially on the field, to replace a broken rib of an aeroplane wingwith a new rib. My'invention enables a new rib to be substituted for a broken. or injured rib at minimum cost, trouble and delay.

I shall preferably utilize the rib-securing means of my invention as an aid to fastening the canvas in position, and hence in Figs. 3 and 4 I illustrate the outer binding plates 31 and tapes 32 held by the same nuts that engage the screw for the purpose of securely fastening the upper and lower sheets of canvas on the ribs ofthe wing. The plates 24, as well as those numbered 45,

and lower strips or bars of the rib, as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, said flanges serving to prevent said plates from having any that a rib of the wing flanges to engage the opposite side edges of the upper turning action during the tightening of the nuts and screws and to present an efficientand desirable construction. I also recess the facing sides of the strips or bars 16, 17 (and 40, 41) .of the rib, as at 48, toreceive and interlock with the intermediate rib-sections, as 18, 19, and thereby increase the stability, efliciency' and desirability of the rib structure as a whole.

I do not limit my'invention to all of the 4 details of form and construction shown,

since I know of no earlier aeroplane-wing having a rib formed of detachable sections or at all analogous to the constructions presented by me. The .parts of my rib are readily constructed and transportable and may be assembled in the wing in a very convenient manner and also readily removed therefrom should occasion so require, the upper and lower halves or sections of the rib being detachable from each other upon the freeing of the nuts and screws which bind said parts toggther.

hat I- claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An aeroplane-wing comprising spars, ribs, a suitable'covering fabric, said ribs being composed of upper and lower strips or bars extendin crosswise of said spars at opposite sides t ereof and intermediate sections between said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means applicable at opposite sides of the ribs and extending through the same for securing the parts thereof together and against the spars, said means comprisin a series of screws and nuts and the nuts eing in the form of internally threaded tubes entering the ribs to engage the screws and having slotted heads.

2; An aeroplane-wing comprising spars, ribs, a suitable. covering fabric, said ribs being composed of upper and lower strips or bars extendin crosswise of said spars at opposite sides t ereof and intermediate sections between said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means applicable at opposite sides of the ribs and extendingl through the same forsecuring the parts t ereoftogether and against the spars, said means comprising flanged-cap-plates engaging the opposite upper and lower surfaces and side edges of the ribs, and a series of screws and nuts in operative relation to said plates, said nuts belng in the form of internally threaded tubes entering the ribs to engage the screws and having exposed heads.

'3. An aeroplane-wing comprising spars,

ribs, a suitable covering fabric, said ribs being composed of upper and lower strips or bars extending crosswiseof and at opposite sides of the spars and intermediate sections between'said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means at opposite sides of the ribs for securing the parts thereof together and a ainst the s'pars, said intereing in upper and lower parts or divisions faced against each other at their inner edges and having their outer edges set in recesses ovided for them in the facing sides of said strips or bars.

4. An aeroplane-wing comprising spars,

' ribs, a suitable covering fabric, said ribs being composed of upper and lower strips or (bars exten ing crosswise of said spars at opposite sides thereof and intermediate sections between said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means applicable at opposite sides of the ribs and extending through the same for securing the parts thereof together and against the s ars,

' said means comprising flanged cap-p ates engaging the opposite upper and lower surfaces and side edges of the rlbs, and a series of screws and nuts in operative relation to said plates, said nuts being in the form of internally threaded tubes entering the ribs ,to engage the screws and having exposed heads, combined with outer plates on said nuts for securing the canvas of the wing against said cap-plates.

5. An aeroplane-wing comprising a suit- I or bars and engaging. said screws.

6. An aeroplane-wing comprlsing a suitable coverin fabric, spars, ribs composed of upper and ower strips or bars extending crosswise of said spars at opposite sides thereof and intermediate sections between bars and thefacing sides of said strips or said spars, and means for securingithe parts of the ribs together and against the s ars comprising double-ended screws embe ded in said intermediate sections, cap plates ap-' plied on the outer edges of said strips or bars and tubular nuts extending inwardly through said cap plates and said strips or bars and engaglng said screws, said nuts having heads on their outer ends.

7. An aeroplane-wing comprising a suitable coverin fabric, spars, ribs composed of upper and ower strips or bars extending crosswise of said spars at o posite sides thereof and intermediate sections between said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means for securing the parts of the ribs together and against the spars comprising double-ended screws embedded in said intermediate sections, cap plates aplplied on tlie outer edges of said strips or ars and tubular nuts extending inwardly through said cap plates and said strips or bars and engaging said screws, said nuts having heads on their outer ends, combined with outer plates on the outer ends of said nuts for securing the canvas of the wing against said cap plates.

'8. An aeroplane-wing com rising asuitable covering fabric, spars, ri s composed of upper and lower strips or bars extending cross-wise of said spars at opposite sides thereof and intermediate sections between said strips or bars and the facing sides of said spars, and means for securing the parts of the ribs together and against the spars termediate sections being in upper and lower divisions and said screws having blocks at their middle portions set in recesses formed in the adjacent edges of said divisions.

9. A portable knock-down rib for the wing of an aeroplane comprising upper and lower strips or bars extending the full length of the rib, upper and lower intermediate sections confined between said upper and lower strips or bars and at their adjoining end portions .being spaced apart, and means applicable from the upper and WILLARD C. DURGAN.

Witnesses:

LUDWIG TRAGE, Jr., RALPH K. DORAN. 

